


Alarm

by OhGoshOhJeez



Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid
Genre: Autistic!John McNamara, Misunderstandings, casual ableism from John’s classmates, sensory overloads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:08:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24197242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhGoshOhJeez/pseuds/OhGoshOhJeez
Summary: Wiley misunderstands
Kudos: 36





	Alarm

“Stand up straight, son, look at me when I’m talking to you!” Wiley barked, and John immediately flinched, then straightened, eyes still cast down at the floor. Wiley clicked his fingers in front of John’s face, impatiently.

John had been acting strangely for a good portion of the training session, and Wiley just about had enough of it. Not only was he distracted, but he seemed to not take in a word of what Wiley was trying to teach him. The other students noticed this too, and laughed to each other whenever he’d slip up.

“What’s the matter with you, son? Too chickenshit to look me in the eye like a man?”

John’s face flushed in embarrassment, and he blinked fast, clearly trying to think. 

There was a distant alarm ringing from somewhere in the PEIP building, and everytime it would reach its loudness peak, John would close his eyes tightly.

“Yes- Yes sir- I mean-“ His peers chuckled to themselves, and he panicked, “No, sir, I just-“

“Have you even been listening to me this whole time? What was I just sayin’, hm? Give me a rundown of the lesson real quick, soldier.”

John shook his head fast. Wiley’s eyebrows raised, offended.

“Are you shittin’ me, son?!” He leaned forward, sneering almost right in John’s face, “I give you a chance to prove that you’re more than a snivelling little runt, and this is how you act?!”

Suddenly, John snapped, and let out a yell, making everyone jump.

“Shut up! Just shut up, please!” 

“How fuckin’ DARE you, Mcnamara, I’m your superior, you better shape up real fast or-“

Wiley paused when John brought his hands up to his ears, covering them, closing his eyes and whispering something to himself, breathing fast.

“C’mon boy, get it together, why are you-“

The alarm squealed again and John pressed his hands down harder, trying to block out the noise. He was hyperventilating, his shoulders hunched up. He looked incredibly small.

“Ha, look, he’s doing the thing again..” One of John’s classmates said, poking his friend in the chest and laughing.

Wiley’s eyebrows were furrowed as he tried to process the sight in front of him. Suddenly, everything seemed to click and he straightened, Looking at John not in anger, but concern. He turned his attention towards the gaggle of students.

“Get out, c’mon, get.” He said, gesturing to them and practically herding them out of the door, “We’ll pick this up again later, get lost.”

As soon as the last boy was out, he shut the door behind them and turned his attention back to John, still hunched over a little, hands clutching his ears, drawing in gasping breaths.

“Hey.” Wiley said, and put his hand on John’s shoulder. When that didn’t get his attention, he held John’s hands and tried to gently pry them away. 

John’s eyes darted open, but he let Wiley remove them, holding his wrists. Wiley looked down at him and sighed as John sniffled, Looking truly scared.

“Hey, c’mon boy, get a hold of yourself.” He said. His words were harsher than his tone, which was gentle, like he was talking to a frightened animal.

“M’ sorry, sir...” John said, and Wiley frowned, “Couldn’t f-focus. I- you were right, I’m so  _ stupid _ , and I’m a  _ coward _ , and- and I don’t know why I-“ John’s voice gradually raised in volume, clearly getting himself worked up again. 

Wiley took his face in his hands, tilting his chin up to look at his face. John’s teary eyes finally met Wiley’s, 

“I- I wasn’t yelling at  _ you _ , sir, I promise. It was just the a-“

“Alarm.” Wiley said, at the same time.

John nodded, pitifully. 

“I’m sorry, John.” Wiley said, sincerely, and brushed the stray hair out of John’s eyes. He was clearly a wreck. 

“For what?”

“I shouldn’t have yelled at you, I didn’t know you were-“ Wiley stopped himself, trying to think of the right wording that wouldn’t upset John further, “Overwhelmed.”

John’s lower lip trembled and he nodded.

“Could you let go of my face now, sir?”

Wiley retracted his hands, he didn’t realise he was still holding him. 

“Thank you.” John said, sounding incredibly small. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. The alarm was distant now, and John seemed to be calmer. Wiley felt insanely guilty.

“I was hard on you cause I thought you were like the rest of em’, John.”

“Huh?”

“Your classmates. All these- these immature little shitheads who’ve never learned to shut their damn mouths.”

John laughed a little, looking somewhere past Wiley’s shoulders, clearly trying to make an effort to look near his eyes.

“You’re not like that, are you, John?”

“No, sir.”

“Then we don’t have a problem. But you need to tell me when you start gettin’....Worked up. Jus’ so I know. I don’t wanna make you feel worse.”

John sniffled and nodded again. 

“They kid you a lot, huh?”

“Hm?”

“Those other guys in your class. They fool with ya a lot, don’t they?”

John shrugged.

“Everyone laughs at me, sir. Ever since I was in school. I used to think they were laughing with me but I guess I- I just don’t get the joke anymore. I think I  _ am  _ the joke.”

“That ain’t right, Son.”

“It is what it is, I guess.”

“It’s bullshit, is what it is. You’re a fine man, John, you’re smart. Sometimes you can be a little uh...”

“Awkward?”

“Blunt. But I don’t think you mean to be.”

“Oh.”

“You’re a good kid. And I’m gonna do better by you, that’s a promise.”

“Thank you, sir.” 

  
  
  
  



End file.
